Whoopi Reduces Hasselbeck to Tears Over N-Word

A heated discussion of the N-word between View co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Elisabeth Hasselbeck ended in tears yesterday. Goldberg argued that black people should use the term to rob it of its power—and kept TV censors busy with her repeated use of the word. Hasselbeck fretted over how to teach her children not to say it when it was used by media figures, referring to Jesse Jackson's off-air slur during a Fox TV interview.

"We don't live in different worlds," said Hasselbeck, prompting a heated Goldberg to insist that blacks and whites do still live in different worlds."How are we supposed to move forward if we keep using terms that bring back that pain?" asked a tearful Hasselbeck. The Rev. Al Sharpton apparently does not agree with Goldberg's take on the word. He took Jackson to task in the media yesterday for using it. (More Elisabeth Hasselbeck stories.)